Sustainable improvements in injury surveillance in Ghana

Abstract

The mortuary is an important foundation for injury surveillance. However, mortuary data are incomplete in many developing countries. The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) mortuary handles most injury deaths for Kumasi, Ghana. During 1994–1995, many cases in KATH's mortuary logbooks had missing information deaths. A low-cost pilot programme was adopted to improve recording of injury deaths. During 1996–1999, 633 deaths per year were recorded. Project sustainability assessment in 2006 showed that reporting was high, with 773 cases per year. Data quality was standard with similar per cents of missing values for key variables compared with the pilot period. Supplemental data constituting 20% was obtained from the intensive care unit, for which data recording in the mortuary was incomplete. Low-cost improvements can lead to improved mortuary reporting of injury deaths. Collation of data from multiple sources remains a problem at KATH. Improved organisation and training could remedy the situation.

Keywords:

• injury
• surveillance
• developing country
• low- and middle-income country

Acknowledgements

This study was funded, in part, by grant (D43-TW007267) from Fogarty International Center, US NIH and by grant (R49-CE000197) from US CDC. The authors thank the staff of the KATH mortuary for their advice and assistance with data gathering and with understanding the mortuary system and ways to strengthen it.